September 7, 2012

UNL's Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead will celebrate 50 years of research and education with a Sept. 23 open house.

In the past 50 years, the ARDC has been involved in many advances in agriculture. The open house will celebrate those accomplishments and its future. The event will be from noon to 5 p.m. and include tours, exhibits, presentations, food, and activities for guests of all ages.

Bus tours will take visitors throughout the center and feature stops where faculty and staff will share information about their research. Tour stops will focus primarily on crop and livestock production, research and technology. Other tour stops include: buffalograss research, honeybee research, remote sensing aerial robotics demonstrations and fire equipment reconditioned for rural fire districts by the Nebraska Forestry Service Fire Shop. Tour participants can learn about the history of the research site by touring a load line used when the Nebraska Ordnance Plant was located there.

UNL Extension and local 4-Hers will provide hands-on activities for children, 4-H will provide LEGO-based robotics demonstrations and the Midwest Dairy Association will have Annabelle the cow for kids to milk.

There will be a session with the Backyard Farmer panel, as well as presentations that feature a historical look at the ARDC. UNL Extension will provide a live Beef Value Cuts demonstration. The public will be able to sample the chuck roll cuts after the demonstration and learn about recipes and resources.

Ag commodity organizations also will be present.

Free lunch will be served from noon to 2 p.m. RSVPs are requested and appreciated for planning purposes. Other refreshments include cupcakes and UNL Dairy Store ice cream and samples provided by commodity groups.

To RSVP for lunch, go to ardc.unl.edu, call 402-624-8000, or email dpittman1@unl.edu. Schedule and directions are also available online.

This celebration will kickoff UNL's celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act this year. UNL will be "Celebrating 150 years — Growing a Healthy Future" with a week of activities Sept. 23-29. For more information visit http://landgrant.unl.edu/.

IANR News Release